QUICKREAD

Commending the efforts being made from a variety of Mesa County organizations to prevent family and domestic violence this morning, Denise Brown appeared in advance of her speech tonight at the Avalon Theatre at 7 p.m..

Brown arrived in Grand Junction Wednesday and joined a group of more than 20 community leaders including county commissioners, law enforcement and advocacy groups for dinner. They explained to her the joint efforts being made here in Mesa County to help victims of abuse.

“I was truly, truly impressed,” Brown said during a press conference Thursday morning at the DoubleTree Hotel Thursday morning.

Brown said she was amazed by the number of agencies available to victims of domestic violence to seek help from and she thought Mesa County was a leading example of how to implement preventative efforts in other Colorado counties.

“You guys are all working together and it’s so commendable,” she said, “You have a collaboration of efforts in Grand Junction that I haven’t seen anywhere else.”

Brown explained that she dedicated her life to helping educate the public about domestic violence after the death of her sister Nicole, nearly 16 years ago, at the hands of O.J. Simpson.

“I’d like to see us get back to a time when we opened the garage doors,” and cared about our neighbors, Brown said.

Brown will speak about the cycle of domestic violence and how it effects the entire family tonight at the Avalon Theater. The event is free. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. and Brown speaks at 7 p.m.

“I hope that if a victims who hears my speech tonight, they will know that they are not alone and all of these people are available to help them,” she concluded.